Movable shelving for stores



(NurMovdel.)

O. P. THOMAS. MOVABLE SHBLVING FOR STORES.

` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

OSCAR P. THOMAS, OF GARLAND, TEXAS.

MOVBLE SHELVING FOR STORES.

PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 432,096, dated July 15, 1890.

Application file December 21, 1889. Serial No. 334,500. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OscAR P. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Garland, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Movable Shelving for Stores; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makel and use the same.

Myinvention-movableshelvingforstoresconsists of three Sections, a central main portion and two half-Sections hinged at each end of the main section, said side sections being` one-half the length of the main section and adapted to fold face inward against the middle section, and the whole supported upon brackets that terminate in caster-rollers, and is removably secured to the store-wall by hooks on the shelving engaging eyes in the wall, as and for the. purposes as will hereinafter more fully appear, and form the subjectmatter of the annexed claims.

The object of this invention is to so construct the shelving of stores that in case of fire the sections of shelving may be quickly closed together to protect the contents thereof and removed intact from the building, and to this end I proceed as follows, reference being' had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, Wherein- Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a portion of a store-Wall having my movable shelvin g applied in position thereto, the shelving being' secured in its usual position; and Fig. 2 is a view of the said shelving as in its closed position. Fig. 3 is a plan View showing the manner of securing the shelving in position to the store-wall; and Fig. 4is aview in reduced scale of the said store-wall, showing the arrangement of eyes therein to receive the fastening-hooks of the shelving. a

As before stated, the shelving is composed of three parts, a central main part A and two wings B and O, each of one-half the length of the main part, and hinged at each end thereof, as atb c. This shelving is of sufficientlheight to pass through an ordinary store-door, and is supported upon brackets D D', that terniinate in caster-wheels (Z, whereby it maybe readily moved. From one end adjacent the back of the main part A of the shelving project pins a a, and similar pins project from the hinge side of the section B, as at e e. At the center, upon the top of the middle section A, is a swinging loop Z, and at veach outer end, also upon the top of the side sections B O, are hooks h and i. Upon the store-wall are fiXed eyes l 1 and 2 2 in proper position to receive the pins a a of the part A and pins e e of the part B, respectively, and also fixed to the store-Wall are eyes 3 3 in proper position to be engaged by the hook/s h and 71 of the side Sections B C when said sections are brought against said Wall.

I To secure the shelving in position, the side Sections being folded against the middle section, as in Fig. 2, the shelving` is now pushed back against the wall, so as to bring'the pins a a opposite the eyes l l in said wall., when the shelving is pushed toward said eyes and the pins a a enter the same. The side section Cis now swung back toward the wall and secured by the hook t' on said section, engaging the eye 3 in the store-Wall. o Section B is now swung back against the wall, when lthe pins e e at the back edge of said section will enter the eyes 2 2 in the store-wall, and so hold this side of the shelvin g in an upright position. The wing B is secured by its hook h entering the eye 3 in the wall, the same as with the section C.

To remove the shelving from the store in case of fire, the hooks h and of the side sections are first unhooked and said side Sections swung around against the face of the middle section, as in Fig. 2, and so secured by the books h and 'i engaging the loop Zon the top of the middle section, as shownin Fig. 2, when the entire shelving with its contents may be bodily moved out of the premises. As the faces of the shelvin g are brought together, the contents of said shelving are protected, so that the delay and injury in removing the contents of the shelving of stores in case of fire is avoided.

The back wall XV of the sl'lelving niay be of light sheet metal,-if desired, and, as shown, the ends of each section may form the sup- IOO porting-brackets, or such brackets may be separate from the ends of the shelves, as dcsired.

I elaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. The Inovable shelving` for stores, consisting of the middle double section A and two side sections B and O, each' of wheh single side seotions is of one-half the length of the middle section and is hing'ed at its front edge to the ends of said middle section and folding against the front thereof with their faees inward, andall three of said Sections composing the shelving` supported upon brackets having caster-rollers and combined with suitable hooks upon the seetions and eyes on the store-Wall for securing the shelving in ,position, as deseribed and shown, for the pu rposes speeified.

2. In a movable shelving for stores, composed of the .middle section A and half-secv tions B O, hing'ed thereto and supportednpon braokets having caster-rollers, the pins a a upon ono end of the central section,and pins e e upon 'the inner end of the side section B, combined with the eyes 1 1 and 2 2 upon the store-wall in position to receive said pins, substantially as deseribed and shown, for the purposes specified.

3. The combination, in a movable shelving,` for stores, with the Amiddle section A, supported upon brackets D D, that terminate in oaster-wheels and having pins a a projecting,` from one end thereof, of the wings 01' side Sections B and C, hinged to the ends of the middle section and supported upon brackets D', that terminate in' caster-rollers, and the section B, having` pins e e,hooks h and upon the side section, loop Z upon the middle section, and eyes 1 l, Z 2, and 3 3 upon the storewall, as shown and deseri'bed, for the purposes specified.

OSOAR P. THOMAS.

W itnesses:

T. J. SWIM, W. R. TURNiPsnnD. 

